AEPD (Spain) - PS-00240-2025
Spain's AEPD fines Vodafone €750K for data breach in Super WiFi service with inadequate security measures.
Spain's Data Protection Authority (AEPD) fined Vodafone España €750,000 for violations of GDPR Articles 5(1)(f), 28, and 32 following a data breach affecting its Super WiFi service. The DPA found inadequate security measures, lack of a valid data processor agreement, and false claims of encryption protection. The penalty was aggravated by two previous similar infringements (2021, 2022) and Vodafone's habitual processing of large volumes of personal data.
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The lesson from this incident
Full lessonVodafone España suffered a data breach in its Super WiFi service and was fined €750,000 by Spain's AEPD for multiple GDPR violations, including inadequate security measures, absence of a valid data processor agreement, and falsely claiming encryption was in place. The lack of a proper Article 28 data processing agreement means third-party data processors were operating without legally required contractual safeguards, creating uncontrolled risk exposure for personal data. Misrepresenting security controls (such as claiming encryption that did not exist) is particularly serious as it undermines regulatory oversight and incident accountability. This case is aggravated by repeat offences in 2021 and 2022, demonstrating a systemic failure to embed a culture of data protection compliance. Organisations processing large volumes of personal data face heightened scrutiny and proportionally larger penalties when violations recur.
What helps against this
How we list vendors- Identity governance and single sign-on
People who leave or change roles lose access everywhere at once, and forgotten accounts stop piling up.
- Automated patch management
Known holes get closed in days, not months.
- Encryption and key management
Stolen data stays unreadable, and the keys stay under your control.